Pediatric Differential Diagnosis. 2nd Edition

This 184-page text, in the words of the authors," has been written to assist medical students, residents, pediatricians, nurses, and family practitioners in developing appropriate hypotheses and a differential diagnosis." To this end, it will certainly prove to be very helpful. The volume contains 51 alphabetically listed chapters (six more than the first edition), each dealing with a specific sign or symptom such as anemia, edema, otalgia, or stridor. Every chapter offers a brief overview of the topic, including a recommended "approach" to the problem and a thorough differential diagnosis. Most chapters also contain a diagnostic table in which associated signs and symptoms are listed, along with a numbered score (I to 4) that indicates how likely it is to find a certain sign or symptom associated with a specific disease. For example, in the chapter on dysuria one of the table entries is pyelonephritis, which is likely to be associated with flank pain, pyuria (each receiving a 4), fever (receiving a 3), but not with urgency or hesitancy (each receiving a 0). The book is handy, portable, and, though it is not exhaustive, its differential diagnoses are thorough and address a wide variety of pediatric presenting complaints. In short, it goes a long way toward fulfilling the goal proposed by its authors.